Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Utility Patent
1998-06-17
2001-01-02
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S749000, C029S859000, C029S872000, C174S092000
Utility Patent
active
06167616
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting method of connecting an electric wire and a terminal by applying an ultrasonic vibration.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-70345 discloses a connection structure in which a covering portion of a covered electric wire is melted (molten) and removed by applying an ultrasonic vibration so as to conductively connect a core wire of the covered electric wire and a terminal.
FIG.
1
A and
FIG. 1B
each show a connector having a conventional structure in which a first member
1
and a second member
2
made of a resin face each other.
An upper surface of the first member
1
is formed with a groove portion
3
along a longitudinal direction thereof, and a small concave portion
4
is formed along a longitudinal direction of the groove portion
3
with a given interval. A terminal
5
is inserted into the groove portion
3
of the first member
1
along a longitudinal direction of the groove, and then, a covered electric wire
6
is placed on the terminal
5
. The covered electric wire
6
is placed on the terminal
5
in a state that many core wires are covered with a covering portion made of a resin.
A lower surface of the second member
2
is formed with a protrusion
7
which is fitted into the groove portion
3
of the first member
1
and a small convex portion
8
which is fitted into the concave portion
4
of the groove
3
, along the longitudinal direction thereof.
These members having the aforesaid structure are assembled in the following manner. More specifically, the terminal
5
and the covered electric wire
6
are inserted into the groove portion
3
of the first member
1
, and then, in this state, the protrusion
7
of the second member
2
is fitted into the groove portion
3
of the first member
1
so that the terminal
5
and the covered electric wire
6
are pressed down by means of the second member
2
and the first member
1
. At this time, the terminal
5
and the covered electric wire
6
are partially bent at a place where the concave portion
4
and the convex portion
8
are mutually fitted, so that these terminal and covered electric wire can be prevented from coming off.
And then, in a state that these terminal
5
and covered electric wire
6
are held between the first member
1
and the second member
2
, an ultrasonic vibration is applied to these members from an ultrasonic horn (not shown) while pressing them. A covering portion of the covered electric wire
6
is melted and removed by a heat generated by the ultrasonic vibration, and therefore, an internal core wire is exposed, and thus, the exposed core wire and the terminal
5
conductively contact with each other. With this conductive contact, the first member
1
and the second member
2
are integrally connected, so that a connector housed the terminal
5
and the electric wire can be prepared.
FIG. 2
shows an example converse to FIG.
1
A and FIG.
1
B. More specifically, a small convex portion
8
is formed in the groove portion
3
of the first member
1
, and a small concave portion
4
fitted into the convex portion
8
is formed in the second member
2
. Likewise, in this case, in the state that the terminal
5
and the covered electric wire
6
are held between the first member
1
and the second member
2
, by applying the ultrasonic vibration thereto, it is possible to conductively contact the core wire with the terminal
5
.
FIG. 3
shows a structure for preparing a multi-polar connector, and the first member
1
is formed with a plurality of groove portions
3
; on the other hand, the second member
2
is formed with a plurality of protrusions
7
which face the groove portions
3
. After the terminal is housed in the respective groove portions
3
, the covered electric wire is placed on the terminal, and thereafter, in a state that these terminal and electric wire are held between the first member
1
and the second member
2
, the ultrasonic vibration is applied to them while pressing the same, thereby a connector being made.
FIG. 4
shows a state that the terminal
5
and the covered electric wire
6
are held between the first member
1
and the second member
2
having the structure as described above. And then, these terminal
5
and the covered electric wire
6
are pressed down by the protrusion of the second member
2
so as to be overlapped each other, and thus, bent portions
5
a
and
6
a
corresponding to the convex portion
8
and the concave portion
4
are formed to prevent these terminal and covered electric wire from coming off.
However, according to the conventional structure, the core wire of the covered electric wire does not sufficiently contact with the terminal; for this reason, the conventional structure has a problem that a contact resistance becomes large.
FIG. 5
shows an ideal state that a core wire
9
of the covered electric wire and the terminal
5
contact with each other by the ultrasonic vibration. More specifically, the covering portion of the covered electric wire is melted and removed, and then, the core wires
9
are exposed and contact with the terminal
5
in a state of coming into line. Further, the exposed core wires
9
are held down by the protrusion
7
of the second member
2
so as to keep this contact state.
In actual fact, the protrusion
7
is softened by a heat generated when the covering portion of the covered electric wire is melted; as a result, as shown in
FIG. 6
, a distal end portion
7
a
of the protrusion
7
is formed. By the deformation of the protrusion
7
, it is impossible to hold down the core wires
9
, and the core wires
9
come loose in a row; for this reason, these core wires
9
can not sufficiently contact with the terminal
5
. As a result, a contact area is reduced, and a contact resistance becomes large.
In such a case, there is made a proposal of forming the second member
2
including the protrusion
7
of a resin having high heat-resistance. However, the high heat-resistant resin is expensive, and it is difficult to mold the resin; for this reason, a precision is lowered. Further, the melted covering portion of the covered electric wire and the second member
2
are not effectively joined together; for this reason, there is a problem that these members are not firmly assembled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in mind.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a connecting method of connecting an electric wire and a terminal, which can arrange a plurality of core wires of a covered electric wire on a terminal so as to come into line, and can make a preferable contact between the core wires and the terminal, thereby reducing a contact resistance.
To achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connecting method of an electric wire and a terminal, comprising the steps of: placing a covered electric wire having a plurality of core wires covered with a covering portion made of a resin, on a terminal; applying an ultrasonic vibration or an ultrasonic wave oscillation to the covered electric wire in a state of pressing the covered electric wire against the terminal so as to melt and remove the covering portion so that the plurality of core wires are arranged on the terminal in parallel; and pressing the parallelly arranged core wires against the terminal so that the core wires and the terminal conductively contact with each other.
According to the connecting method of an electric wire and a terminal, the covered electric wire is placed on the terminal, and thereafter, the ultrasonic vibration or the ultrasonic wave oscillation is applied in a state of pressing the covered electric wire against the terminal. In this case, the pressing means includes, for example, an ultrasonic vibration applying horn, and other pressing members. When applying the ultrasonic vibration in a state of pressing the covered electric wire against the terminal, the coveri
Arbes Carl J.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
Connecting method of electric wire and terminal does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Connecting method of electric wire and terminal, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Connecting method of electric wire and terminal will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2436222